Trap-belt.



A. J. KULL.

TRAP BELT.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB.19, 1914.

1 1 08,764. Patented Aug. 25, 1914,

w (IL THE NORRIS PETERS CO, PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON, Dv C.

ALFRED J GEN K'ULL, OF FAR I-IILLS, 'NEW JERSEY.

TRAP-BELT.

Specification ofLetters Patent:

PatentedAug. 25, 1914.

Application filed February 19,1914. Serial No."819,843.

To all whom it may concern l Be it known that I, ALFRED JOHN KULL, acitizen of the United States, residing at Far Hills, in the county ofSomerset and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Trap- Belts, of which the following is a specification.The present invention has for its object the provision of a protectivedevice adapted for disposition about the trunks of trees, and designedprimarily against the usual insects which destroy the foliage, as wellas a guard to prevent animals, such as cats, from climbing the trees. Inthe latter connection the destruction of birds and their nests iscarried on to a considerable extent and it has been my main object inthe construction of this device to so form guard members for the samewhich will project outwardly from the tree trunk to such an extent thatthe animal is unable to leap across the same.

To the end of accomplishing the foregoing functions, my inventionconsists of a.

body of flexible material, preferably tin, or the like, which is adaptedto be placed around the tree trunk, said body being out along one edgeso as to permit of relative expansion of said edge with respect to theremainder of the body, whereby upon flexing the device in disposing itas above mentioned, guard members are caused to project away from thetrunk, these members comprising fingers formed by cutting the bodytransversely many times from the lower edge. In conjunction with thebody, I employ a strip of fabric such as felt, connected to said bodyfor interposition between the same and the tree trunk so as to preventinsects from crawling up the latter as above mentioned.

Another object of my invention is to provide a yielding connection forthe extremities of the body or guard normally retaining the device inposition upon the tree while permitting the same to expand in growthcircumferentially during its continued use in the manner hereinbeforeset forth.

WVith the above and other objects in view, this invention consists inthe construction,

combination and arrangement of parts all to form a barrier" tin, thoughit is to as hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure-1 is a top plan view of a protector or guard constructed inaccordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is. a side elevation of the same;and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device in open position looking at theinner sur? face of the same.

Referring to the drawing and describing my device, the numeral '1 refersto a body member which is preferably composed of flexible metallicmaterial, of the nature of be understood that any desirable material maybe used in its construction which will assume the position hereinafterto be more fully described. The body 1 is of rectangular form and is cutfrom its lower edge transversely of the material or in an upwarddirection a number of times, forming a plurality of fingers 2 along itslower edge. Intermediate the uncut portion of the body 1 is secured bydesirable fastening members a, a strip of fabric such as felt 3, saidfelt extending longitudinally of the body from end to end.

The device as just described is designed to be placed about the trunk ofa tree at any desirable height from the ground and the flexing of thebody about the tree trunk will cause the fingers or the entire loweredge of the same to assume a flaring position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 ofthe drawings with the fingers projecting outwardly from the trunk ofsaid tree. This is due to the cutting of the lower edge of the bodywhich permits a relative expansion of this portion with respect to theuncut portion of the upper edge of the same.

Any desired fastening means for holding the device in the position aboutthe tree trunk may be employed, and as illustrated in the drawings, ayielding member or spring 5 is secured to one end of the device in aneye 6 and engaged over a hook 7 on the other end. A slight lap of theends is desirable so as to permit the body to yield to the growth of thetrunk of the tree circumferentially in the manner hereinbeforedescribed.

It will be obvious that the device is extremely simple and may be verycheaply manufactured from various materials susceptible of flexing inthe manner above mentioned, and the body of the same may belongitudinally, and assume a position procolored or painted so that itwill have an jecting away from the tree with their exornamentalappearance when desirable. tremities spaced from each other.

The advantages of the invention will be 2. A trapbelt comprising a bodyof flexiclearly understood from the foregoing deble metallic materialadapted to be disposed scription though it may be mentioned that aboutthe trunk of a tree and having a pluthe felt which is pressed againstthe tree rality of curved guard members spaced from trunk will preventinsects from crawling the tree and formed by cutting the material pastthe device while the fingers 2 will form transversely the greaterportion of its width an obstacle which will eliminate likelihood anumber of times, the uncut portion conof depredating animals fromjumping across stituting a band adapted to fit closely to the the same.tree, a fabric member secured to the inner Having thus described myinvention what surface of the band portion, and a flexible I claim asnew is: connection connecting the ends of the band 1. A trap beltcomprising a body of flexito permit expansion of said belt. ble material.for disposition about the trunk In testimony whereof I affix mysignature of a tree and having guard members formed in presence of twoWitnesses.

thereon by cutting the material transversely ALFRED JOHN KULL.

a portion of the width of said material Witnesses: whereby upon flexingthe same about the T. V. TERRELL, tree to.cause the guard members tocurve J. W. ZACI-IARY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. G."

